Car coupler



July 25, 1944.

w. J. METZGER 2,354,271

CAR COUPLER Filed Dec. 12, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet l lNVENTO R I M'lll'am J. M31: er (44M 2 M1 ATTORNEY July 25, 1944.

w. J. METZGE-R- CAR COUPLER Filed Dec. 12, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 a m R J. E o N m mdm wf n mM A I m Patented July 25, 1944 UNITED STATE s: OFFICE 3 Claims, (01. ars-15.2)

--This invention relates to car couplers andmore particularly to a construction that will prevent pinching the lock between'the'knuckle tailand'the coupler head when it is de'sird'to raise the lock during uncoupling. I

In uncoupling two cars it is customary to give the couplers a light buifing blow or force-the buffing surfaces on the knuckles and head to'- gether by means of a locomotive so asto relieve the pressure of the knuckle tails against the locks and permit the lock of either coupler-to.

be raised. It has been found, however, on couplers having Wedge locks-and on couplers in which the clearance for the lock in the lock chamber is small, that this procedure actually increases the pressure of the knuckle tail on the lock and makes the uncoupling operation very difficult." It is therefore an object of the present inventionto provide means for preventing the look from knuckle.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a horizontal sectional View of' a coupler which does not embody the invention, illustrating the manner in which the lock be pinched in the coupler head.

Figure2 is a horizontal sectional view of' a" coupler embodying the invention.

.Figure 3 is a partial vertical sectional View,

taken on line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary sectional view of a modification.

Figure 5 is a horizontal sectional view showing another embodiment of the invention; and

Figure 6 is a partial vertical sectional view, taken on line 66 of Figure 5.

Figure 1 illustrates. a knuckle tail and coupler side wall construction in use on the railroads of the United States at the present time. It will be observed that the knuckle II] has a curved surface II on the rear of the knuckle tail which is engageable with curved surface I2 on side wall I3 of the coupler head. In couplers pro-' vided with a wedge lock, such as the A. A. R. Tight Lock coupler, surfaces I I and I2 are forced into engagement by the lock and pivotal movement of the knuckle is thereby prevented. However, some clearance is present between the knuckle pin 9 and the pin openings in the knuckle and coupler head which allows a slight may amount of longitudinal movement of the knuckle relative to the coupler head. If two cars fitted with' 'couplers of this construction are buffed together to relieve the tension on the knuckles which were previously in draft, the bufling blow' will move the knuckle rearwardly, causing surface It to slide along surface I2. This sliding movement, however, will result in the knuckle tail being moved. laterally towards the lock, thus forcing the latter into tighter engagement with walll 4 of the coupler head and making-it difficult if not impossible to raise the lock to unlock the coupler.

"The present invention has as its object a construction that will prevent pinching of the lock between the knuckle tail and the coupler head during buffing-of the coupler. Referring to Figures- 2'and 3, the coupler head I5 has a pivoted knuckle I6 and a lock I'I. The knuckle tail I8 hasa lock engaging face I9 extending parallel to the longitudinal center line a,a, of the coupler. Lock I! has a surface 29 on one side in engagee mentwith face I 9 and'a surface 2| on its opposite side, also parallel to the center line of the coupler andin engagement with surface 22 of the adjacent wall of the coupler. Surfaces I9 and 20 are atan angle to the vertical so that as the lock m'oves downwardly into locking position surface 23 of the knuckle tail is forced into engagementwith surface 24 on the inner side of wall 25 of the'coupler. Surfaces23 and 24 are also parallel to the longitudinal center line of the coupler. It willbe observed that there is clearance between the rear surface 26 of the knuckle tail and the coupler wall directly to the rear thereof. slight amount of clearance is also shown between the knuckle pivot pin 21 and the pin receiving openings 28 in the knuckle and coupler head. This latter clearance is provided to enable proper fitting of the parts and permits a slight amount of movement of the knuckle longitudinally ofthe coupler head. Since each of the surfaces I9, 20, 2i, 22, 23 and 24 is parallel to the longitudinal center line of the coupler, the knuckle, if it moves rearwardly during a buffing blow, will move in a direction parallel to the center line and will not move laterally, hence the pressure on the lock will not be increased. Although vertical surface 24 is shown parallel to the longitudinal center line, it will be clear that by positioning the surface at an angle to this position, as surface 29 in Fig. 4, the knuckle during buff will not be moved laterally against the lock. Surface 30 on the knuckle will of course be correspondingly positioned.

My invention is also adapted for use with couin engagement with the lock and side surface 36 of the knuckle tail. In place of an integral'sur-: face or seat on the coupler for engagement with surface 36 of the knuckle tail, as shown in the previous embodiment, there is provided a removable seat 31 having its vertical surface 38 parallel to the center line. Seat 31 has a threaded portion 39 extending through the side of the coupler and is secured thereto by means of a'nut 40. Since all of the engaging surfaces are parallel to the longitudinal center line, as in the embodiment shown in Figures 2 and 3, upon the subjection of the knuckle to a buffing force the knuckle tail will not be moved laterally so as to pinch the lock between surface on the coupler and surface 33 on the tail. As the clearance about knuckle pin 4| in the knuckle and coupler head is taken up in buff, the knuckle moves bodily rearwardly, guided by surface 38, and there is no tendency of the knuckle tail to move laterally against the lock and prevent its being raised to unlocked position. The use of removable seat 31 facilitates the machining operations on the coupler head necessary to proper fitting and operation of theknuckle and look when assembled in the coupler. In addition, the

purpose of the removable seat is to provide easier initial adjustment of the amount of closing of the knuckle as well as adjustment thereof after the coupler has been in service for some time. This adjustment is efiected by the use of a shim 42 between seat 31 and the coupler side wall. Thus in the case of a new coupler, if after assembly the knuckle closes a greater amount than normal.

or does not close enough, the proper closing of the knuckle may beobtained by varying the thickness of the shim. Likewise, when the coucloser tolerances required in the machining of a coupler head using the tapered lock. Consequently, any variations from normal in the amount of closing of the knuckle may be readily compensated by means of the shims.

The terms and expressions which I have employed are used as terms of description and not of limitation, and I have no intention, in the use of such terms and expressions, of excluding any equivalents of the features shown and described or portions thereof, but recognize that various modifications are possible within the scope of y the invention claimed.

What I claim is:

1. A car coupler having a pivoted knuckle, said knuckle having a tail adapted to move to a position adjacent a side wall of the knuckle head upon pivoting of the knuckle to closed position, and

normally immovable abutment means on said side wall adapted to be engaged by said tail upon closing of said knuckle, said means being adjustable in a direction laterally of the coupler to limit the amount of closing of the knuckle.

2. A car coupler having a pivoted knuckle, said knuckle having a tailadapted to move to a position adjacent a side wall of the knuckle head upon pivoting of the knuckle to closed position, and normally immovable abutment means on said side wall adapted to be engaged by said tail upon closing of said knuckle, said means comprising a seat member, shims interposed between the latter and said wall and means for releasably securing said seat and shims to said wall.

' 3. A car coupler having a pivoted knuckle adapted to move a slight amount longitudinally of the coupler when in locked position, said knuckle having a tail adapted to move to a position adjacent a side wall of the coupler head when the knuckle is pivoted to closed position, saidtail having faces thereon parallel to the longitudinal center line of the coupler when the knuckle is in closed position, a vertically movable lock member having sides parallel to said center line, said member being adapted to be received between one of said tail faces and another side wall of the coupler head to lock said knuckle in closed position, and laterally adjustable abutment means on said side wall adjacent said tail having a vertical surface parallel to. said center line and adapted to engage the other of said tail faces when said knuckle is subjected to a buffing force, said-abutment means being normally immovable and adapted to guide said knuckle when the latter is in buff to preclude lateral movemen of said tail against said lock member.

WILLIAM J. METZGER. 

